I hope they don't replace Lance Bass as Sephiroth. That's at the top of my list for "strangest choices for VAs that somehow it works really well." I do think they'll replace Mandy Moore as Aeris, which is unfortunate, because I think she did a much better job than Mena Suvari.

Also, that's an absolutely stunning cover, definitely reminiscent of the first game's OST.

The only game in the series that stood above mediocrity (at best) in my mind is KH2. Don't get me wrong, when the first KH was released I was totally onboard. I really liked the idea of mashing up the Disney/Square characters as they seemed so disparate, but somehow worked really well together. The first game was charming, if flawed with its repetitive enemies and generic combat system. It sounds like the combat was revamped a la KH2, and I do give them props for that. KH2 fixed everything that was wrong with the first game, and even though you had to play Chain of Memories to really know what was happening, it was a pretty great game. Unfortunately Square Enix has a problem with taking good ideas, good game mechanics, and good characters and ruining them with overly complex, inane plots that only make sense if you play all of the games in the series. Some of which were meh, if not downright bad.

I think Square Enix has reached an impasse with the series. Side stories. Remakes and rereleases. No KH3. To me it seems this release is just their attempt at keeping the series on gamers' radars until they figure out where to take the series in the future. And honestly, it has been seven years since KH2, and each year that goes by without any news makes the possibility of KH3 seem more and more remote.

I concede I can't comment on Dream Drop Distance since I haven't played it...haven't even seen it really, but it seems to have received pretty positive reviews, so maybe I'm wrong. I'd be happy if I'm wrong because despite my dislike of the side stories I'd probably give KH3 a try.

If anything I think you potentially have the progression of development backwards.

I'm quite willing to bet there has been a very clear plot line for the KH1-3 story as far back as when 2 began development. You don't write a trilogy story's middle without at least some idea of where you're going/what you're doing in the end. However SE, even at that time already beginning to see their old flagships' stability (Final Fantasy and the ever widening division each post VII title has been creating, Star Ocean and the disaster that is every game post II, ect.) crumbling away, immediately recognized the 'cash cow' potential of this franchise from day one.

Multiple ties ins, merchandising, there was no way they would allow the original creators to just 'get away' with a 1, 2, 3 operation. Everything outside of the main numbered stories has pretty much had 'executive meddling' written all over it. It's not that they, the creators, don't know what to do with KH. It's that they're not being allowed to do what they want.

Personally I think even the jingle of that one extra yen isn't even enough anymore for SE to ignore the creaking of KH's support strains giving way under the massive slough of side-content they've been piling on. I would say these re-releases are a build up to KH3's inevitable release. They're going to make a huge deal out of it, utilize these re-dos as a form of 'count down' and make a massive parade out of it, turn KH 3 into the 'new FF VII' in terms of fiscal and public receptions. (As SE has pretty much publicly admitted they use VII as the base line for 'How well are we doing?' for goodness knows what reason. ~_~ )

And then finally with KH 3 out expect years of DLC (Got a new Disney moving coming out that needs advertising? There's your new DLC summon.), post end-side stories ( maybe not even within the same genre, ala Dirge of Cerberus), trans-gaming content (animations, movies, ect.), and so on. They will do it; mark my words.